"Ford’s wait-and-see approach is costing us good jobs” Stiles and Gretzky demand action after the Diageo plant closure announcement

QUEEN’S PARK – Ontario NDP Leader Marit Stiles and Windsor West MPP Lisa Gretzky are calling for action following reports about the Diageo plant closure in Amherstburg, resulting in 160 jobs being shipped off to the U.S.

"Doug Ford's wait-and-see approach is costing us good jobs across the province,” said Stiles. “Losing 160 jobs to the U.S., while Windsor sees the highest unemployment rate in the country, is a devastating blow for the community. We can’t afford a government that shrugs its shoulders and lets the future of thousands of workers across the province hang in the balance of Trump’s chaos. It’s time to step up and fight for every single worker and stop the job losses.”

“Generations of families in Windsor-Essex have built their lives around these good-paying jobs,” said Gretzky. “For nearly a century, families in Amherstburg, LaSalle, Windsor, and across our region have bottled Crown Royal right here in Ontario and Ford continues to stand by while multinational corporations cut and run. Windsor already has the highest unemployment rate in the country and losing these jobs will make things even harder for families and our local economy. We need leadership that puts workers and Ontario’s economy first.”

BACKGROUND:

• Ontario is already facing steep job losses and rising unemployment.
• More than 38,000 jobs were lost in the second quarter of 2025, including nearly 30,000 in manufacturing alone.
• Windsor’s unemployment rate has now surged to 11.2 per cent with that being the highest in Canada.
• The Ontario NDP is calling for urgent action to protect workers and communities, including stronger buy-local policies, targeted investments in key industries, and a credible provincial plan to keep good jobs in Ontario.